


A poor man’s heart is heavier than a rich man’s hand.

by Lynn1998



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bill Denbrough & Eddie Kaspbrak Are Best Friends, F slur, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Inspired by Ever After (1998), M/M, Mainly Richie Eddie and Bill, Period-Typical Homophobia, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, bc drew berrymore has my heart in a chokehold, bodyguard/servant Richie, fake relationship but it’s a real marriage lol, lota homophobia unfortunately, the rest of the gang comes in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25695310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn1998/pseuds/Lynn1998
Summary: Eddie didn’t ask to be engaged to his childhood best friend. He especially didn’t ask to be romanced by his bodyguard either.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Eddie Kaspbrak, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 10
Kudos: 40





	1. A change of title

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my drafts for so long ahdjdj I wanted to post it all as a one shot but it would be way too long so I decided to break it up and post it in chapters instead. It’s still not completely written out, but I know how I want to finish it and it’s pretty close.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Eddie when his mother started talking about selling him off. Ever since his father passed it’s been hard to keep their money and their status, but they weren’t very high in the court to begin with. They still had their servants, but Eddie was more often than not helping them since a lot of them got sold off to pay for the mortgage. Even when his mother married again, he was only richer because he was dirty and had no morals. The minute that man entered his house he was no longer treated as blood. No, he was just another person who baked the bread.

Still, he had his fathers blood in him, so when he overheard his step father talking his mother into selling him he wasn’t surprised to hear that he could bring in bigger offers. He calmly went about with the laundry after hearing that, and didn’t hear anything else until he was at the market with them picking out their groceries as they strolled. He then spotted his friend, Prince William, and smiled as he and his father approached them.

“King Denbrough! How lovely to see you,” Sonia said. Eddie ignored them and greeted Bill with their little hand shake.

“Hey, Eds,” Bill said. His stutter had gotten better over the years, but he remembered when Bill couldn’t get two words out when they were kids.

“Hey, Bill.”

“Lovely to see you, Sonia. I see you’re here with your new Husband,” the King said. His body guards were stood with them as Eddie looked to his mother and then the kind.

“Yes! How is everything? It’s been so long since we’ve last talked,” Eddie’s step father said.

“All is well. Of course, William is getting lonely now that his siblings are marrying off and moving away,” the King said. Eddie frowned at that and Bill merely shrugged.

“I-I have my bodyguard,” he assured him.

“Well, if you’re looking to add more company for him, we’ll gladly let you purchase Eddie from our hands. He’s very well trained in housekeeping and cooking,” Sonia spoke over Bill with a sort of eagerness that made Eddie wrinkle his nose.

“We can’t do that, Eddie is my f-friend not my servant,” Bill replied. The king raised his hand to silence Bill and paused to think.

“Perhaps…although, William makes a point. It would be strange for Eddie to wait on him.”

“Then perhaps as a bride of some sort? I know he’s next in line, but of course Eddie wouldn’t be his official wife,” Sonia offered.

“That might work,” the king hummed and scratched his chin. “William. Thoughts?”

“Eddie is my b-best friend. I’ve always seen him as my equal. If marriage is the only way to make others see him as such, then so be it,” Bill said. Eddie blinked in surprise. He’s never been in such a strange situation before, and he only hoped this marriage wouldn’t change anything between him and Bill.

“Then it’s settled. Should we send him to you, or—“

“We’ll take him now,” the king interrupted. “Expect your payment in the mail, and when the messenger arrives send his documents over in return.”

“Yessir! Thank you so much!” Eddie’s step father said as they shook hands. Sonia then took the basket of groceries from Eddie’s hand, and he was pushed closer to Bill and his father.

“Come along, Edward. There’s much to do now.”

At first he couldn’t really believe it. He has only been in the castle a handful of times and it was all from when he was a child. The last time he had visited Bill was after his father died when he was a teen. Now he was a man and still stuck serving his mother. Or at least he was. Now he was apparently engaged to be Bill’s wife, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It was common knowledge amongst the court that Prince William had a certain affection towards men that most would call a disgrace. That was covered by referring to all his partners as women and wives. Surely the king would be changing his documents to say he was a woman, and he hated that.

The first room he was taken to was his bedroom. It was separate from Bill’s, and it would stay that way since Bill expressed no desire to elevate their relationship past friends after their wedding. It was going to be a private ceremony anyways, so that aspect didn’t bother Eddie too much either. He was left alone to familiarize himself with his room, but he was already bored of it. All of his things were in the basement at his house, and he was certain his mother didn’t have the decency to send it to him. Instead of familiarizing himself he mourned his old space and cried a little too. Then he wiped his tears and decided to explore what he remembered of the castle.

Bill told him on the ride over that he and his father had a busy day of meetings, so he was free to do as he pleased. Although he warned that after wards, as Bill’s first wife, he’ll have to start joining him and attending court. Once he had his official wife, Eddie would be relieved of those duties. It sounded rather fair. Live in this glorious palace with his best friend without lifting a finger, and sit through meetings and court in order to stay. He didn’t have any complaints about that. It beat cleaning his childhood home over and over while pretending that it was normal for his mother to treat him like a servant.

The first place he went to was the kitchen. He was craving something, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was. Usually he had to start making something before he figured it out, so he made himself a simple tart with a small plate of raspberries he found sitting abandoned. He had just pulled it out of the fire oven when he heard a crash from outside the kitchen in the garden. His curiosity wanted to check, but his stomach was telling him to focus on his tart. So he set it down on the counter and watched the steam rise off of it. His head tilted in impatience, and he ran his fingernails against the butcher block one after another. Maybe he should check so it has a chance to cool down…

The garden was much bigger than Eddie remembered. It was also much bigger than the garden at his house, and much more fruitful. The afternoon sun was just filtering in, and it perfectly hit a broken box next to the chicken coop. He frowned in confusion and jumped at the sound of the chickens clucking and squealing in their caged area. A man emerged from the coop with hay sticking out of his already wild looking hair. He cursed as he waved off a few more chickens and looked over to reveal a pair of spectacles across his face. He smiled at Eddie and quickly got up to leave the gated area.

“Perfect timing! Did Bill send you? I’ve been trying to get these eggs all day, but it seems I’m quite fucking useless at it,” he said. Eddie was bright red at the informalities of his speech.

“Excuse me, but what status do you have that give you the right to call Prince William by his personal nickname? Also, what terrible language to use with a stranger,” Eddie scolded. The man stopped right in front of him and Eddie was suddenly taken aback by how much taller the stranger was than him. He chuckled.

“My apologies sir. I assumed Prince William had sent me some help since I’ve taken so long,” he said. He then reached for Eddie’s hand and kissed the back of it. Eddie quickly jerked it away.

“H-how dare you? You have no right to touch me. I don’t even know your name, nor do you know mine,” Eddie snapped again. The stranger only seemed to smile wider the ruder Eddie was to him.

“Well, I am Richard Tozier, Prince William’s personal bodyguard and best friend. And…you are?” He asked reaching for his hand again. Eddie’s blush was warm again as Richie waited for his response.

“E-Edward…I’m Edward Kaspbrak,” he answered. Richard smiled and pressed another kiss to the back of his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said with an annoyingly charming smile. Eddie looked away and pulled his hand away gentler than the last time.

“I supposed as Bill’s personal bodyguard and…so called best friend…you’ll be informed soon enough. Bill and I are actually engaged now…I guess,” Eddie told him. The tall man blinked at him.

“Engaged? Oh that’s no good,” he said. Eddie then looked at him again to glare at him.

“How so, Richard?” He asked.

“Please, call me Richie.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Why is that no good, Richie?” He rephrased.

“I’m so glad you asked, Eddie. Y’see, it’s no good because I’d much prefer your hand in mine than in Bill’s,” he said bluntly. Eddie’s blush returned full force and his eyes widened with shock. How could someone be so bold? Had he no shame? No fear? The way he was speaking would surly put any ordinary man to death.

“H-have you no brain, Richard Tozier? You don’t make me laugh in the slightest. I’m disgusted. My marriage with Bill is purely contractual. He’s my childhood best friend, and my mother just sold me off to pay for her candlesticks. To insinuate a romantic attraction to me is vile,” Eddie rambled. Richie stepped forward, and Eddie stumbled back. He was about to fall when he felt a strong arm around him and fingers returning around his own.

“Oh, but Eddie? Doesn’t it feel nice to hold hands? Surely you didn’t think I meant anything more than that,” Richie teased. Eddie continued to hold onto his jacket as he tried to stabilize himself on the uneven grass. He blinked up at Richie with wide eyes and only grew hotter under his grin.

“Your words seem innocent, but your face is sinister. I don’t trust you,” Eddie insisted. Richie laughed at that loudly, and Eddie couldn’t help but feel a little joy being so close to another man. Surely he didn’t share the same affection towards men as Bill did…right?

“You are quite adorable. You’re just the cutest,” Richie said. Eddie panicked at how fast his heart beat hearing that and scrambled out of Richie’s arms to march back into the kitchen instead to his tart.

It only took about a week for Eddie to fully understand how involved Richie was with Bill’s life. He was less of a bodyguard and more of a personal assistant, and because Eddie was to be married to Bill that extended to him as well. Richie was in every room they entered, behind them as they walked the halls, and stood to the side as they dinned. Although Bill always invited him to sit and Richie would always accept, so they all merely dinned together. For the most part Richie seemed to put an end to his obnoxious flirting, but whenever it was just the two of them he would poke fun at Eddie. He learned to just write it off and insult him instead of entertain him, but that lead to them developing a certain banter even when other people were around. It was strange how Richie managed to defeat Eddie’s barrier in less than a week, and even stranger that Eddie kind of wanted him to succeed at it.

The wedding was to take place within the next month. They had a lot of plans to work around that Eddie wouldn’t be attending, but they promised it would be as soon as they could. There was no point in putting it off since the ceremony would be small, and they also wanted to make sure Eddie was extra protected until they were officially married. His documents arrived two weeks after Eddie’s arrival, and sure enough the king made an order to have the sex changed on all of them. His sour mood must’ve been noticeable since Richie poked fun at his pout, so he decided to lock himself up in the kitchen and help the bakers prepare everyone’s dinners.

“Really, Prince Kaspbrak, we can do the cleaning,” the head baker insisted. Eddie blushed at that and shook his head.

“It’s no trouble. Please, call me Edward. I’m not a prince yet,” he replied as he dunked the dishes in the warm soapy water.

“Are you sure? You’re wonderful in the kitchen, but you worked so hard. Surely you’d like to eat your meal?” He offered. Eddie frowned.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that! I made a mess with you, and I’ll clean it up. I have responsibilities,” he said.

“Prince…I mean, Edward, your responsibilities are outside of the kitchen.” Eddie slowed his cleaning and then nodded.

“Yes…I guess it’s more like a moral obligation…and force of habit. I used to work all over my mothers manor before she sold me,” he said.

“Oh? I had no idea the king purchased you.” Eddie nodded.

“Yes, they made the transaction right in the middle of the market. I never would’ve guessed that morning I’d end up here, but…I guess it’s better than with my mother,” Eddie said. His voice got sad as he spoke, and he stared at the grey soapy water.

“She sounds like one hell of a mother,” a familiar voice spoke from where the head baker was previously. Eddie looked up and saw Richie leaning against the counter. He blushed as he realized he revealed more personal information to the other man.

“I…that’s not important,” Eddie said and focused on scrubbing the bowl he was working on.

“Please, let the servants do that,” Richie said cringing. Eddie stopped only to look up at Richie.

“Do servants disgust you?” He asked.

“Not at all. It’s just sad to see you do work below your station,” he replied simply. Eddie held his eyes for a moment before looking back down to the sudsy bowl.

“I’ve been a servent since my father died. Sorry if I have compassion. I can’t just use this equipment and leave it,” he insisted and moved the rinse off the bowl in the basin if clean water.

“Eddie—“

“Here,” Eddie cut him off by handing him a rag and then the wet bowl. “Dry this off for me, and any other dish I hand you. You waste too much time doing nothing.”

“ _I_ don’t do nothing,” Richie replied but did as Eddie asked regardless of his previous comment.

“Are you sure? Because I would classify your job as a creep and a stalker,” Eddie said grabbing the next dish and washing it.

“That’s fair, but it pays room and board so I’m all for it. Especially if that means spending time with you,” he said. Eddie felt his cheeks get warm again. Why did he blush so much around this idiot? He wasn’t smooth in the slightest…well, maybe he was a little smooth.

“You are full of shit, Richie Tozier,” Eddie said bluntly and rinsed the dish before handing it to him. Richie set the other one down and chuckled.

“What a terrible way to speak to your friend, Eds. I thought we were finally getting along,” Richie said. Eddie shook his head and grabbed another dish. Before he could start scrubbing, Richie gently took his wrist and lead it away. “Eat with me,” he requested. Eddie looked back at the kitchen staff still cleaning up around them and then looked back. Richie took his distraction as an opportunity to hold his hand instead of his wrist, and Eddie’s chest felt tight.

“…it’s rude to eat in front of the workers before they can eat,” Eddie said. Richie smirked.

“Then let’s eat in the garden.”

It was sickeningly romantic outside. The sun was setting and it was the perfect summer breeze. Richie carried both of their dishes, and they found a patch of soft dry grass to sit in. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but once he started eating Eddie realized just how hungry he was. He shoveled the food in his mouth and only came up for air. They had made a chicken cream soup that night, and Eddie had never learned that before. He only knew broths or plant based soups, but once the soup met his lips he was certain this was the superior type. His mother couldn’t afford the ingredients even if he wanted to make it at home. He then heard a chuckle and looked over to see Richie watching him.

“Is there something funny to you, asshole?” He asked defensively. Richie shook his head.

“No, you’re just very cute as always. You eat…in a very human way,” he said. Eddie frowned at that.

“Human?”

“Everyone here is so polite when they eat. I wonder why they take so long just to eat, and they always go on about etiquette and shit I don’t give a fuck about. I only eat with Bill because he understands I couldn’t care any less,” he explained. Eddie took in his answer and then nodded.

“My mother went broke after my father died, so I took over a lot of the house and kitchen work as she started selling off our servants. I learned a lot from our eldest ones until she eventually sold them too, and I eventually just decided to eat with them instead. They were the same. They couldn’t care less for formalities. It only stuck with me because my mother insisted I was polite and well mannered in public with her,” Eddie told him. He raised his spoon back to his mouth and fully enjoyed the flavor that washed over his tongue. His eyes fluttered shut in appreciation and he sighed before looking over to see Richie still staring at him.

“You’re a very interesting person, Eds. I can’t say I’ve ever met someone like you before,” Richie said. Eddie blushed at that and looked down at his bowl.

“Don’t call me that. It’s rude,” Eddie protested.

“How so?” Richie challenger with a smirk. Eddie glared at him.

“It insinuates that we are closer than we actually are. I have no desire to be closer with you than we are now. In fact, you should be with Bill right now instead,” he replied. Richie shook his head.

“Nope. He told me to find you and accompany you for the rest of the evening. He said something about you being broody.”

“I’m not broody.”

“You seemed at least a little pouty. What’s got you down?” Richie asked in a teasing voice. Eddie opened his mouth to insult him, but closed it and looked away instead. Everything inside him was telling him to keep this to himself, but he couldn’t help but feel like he could tell Richie.

“…the king is changing my sex on my documents so it goes with Bill’s, and…I find it disturbing,” Eddie confessed. Richie nodded.

“That’s fair. I wouldn’t be happy about that either,” he empathized. Eddie sighed and cradled his bowl with both hands.

“I just can’t help but feel like I shouldn’t be here to begin with. Bill is my best friend…I’m merely here to keep him company until he finds the person he wants to rule with. I don’t miss my mother, but…it saddens me to think that she could sell me so easily,” he explained further. Richie was silent. “My mother is a terrible woman, you see. She shouldn’t be invited to anything or else she’ll be antsy the whole time. My father was the only one who tried to care for me emotionally, and after he died my mother married a spineless bastard who got rich off of nothing. My life is better without them, but it hurts to think that it was so easy and painless to them to get rid of me.”

“Gosh, Eds. I thought I had it rough,” Richie said and ran his fingers through his hair. Eddie looked over at him in time to see him eat some more.

“What made it rough for you?” Eddie asked quietly. Richie took in another spoonful and looked over at the sunset.

“You said it yourself. The way I am attracted to others is vile,” he murmured. Eddie suddenly felt embarrassed at that and frowned.

“I’m sorry about that. I…I was flustered, a-and you were…” he trailed off as Richie started laughing.

“Don’t worry, Eds. I don’t pretend not to be an abomination. Bill and I have spent countless hours crying over it together, so I’ll spare you my tears,” he assured him. Eddie frowned at that, and set his bowl to the side. He crawled closer to the other man, who was distracted by trying to scrap the last of his soup out of his bowls and sat in front of him. His hands automatically lifted and touched Richie’s jaw to make him look Eddie in the eyes.

“You’re not an abomination, Richie,” he whispered almost crying himself. Richie was speechless and nearly dropped his soup.

“Christ, Eds. You…” he stopped talking as Eddie used his hand to fully cup his jaw and caress his face.

“You are a pain in my ass, but you’re not an abomination. You are not vile. You are not some terrible thing that should be feared. You are simply a man who loves differently. It’s still love, Richie,” Eddie cooed. This is exactly what he told Bill when Bill approached him and told him of his own affections. He told Eddie he loves women, but he loves men as well. Everyone things he only loves men, but he’s capable of both. Richie’s eyes went soft as he listened to Eddie speak, and Eddie felt his cheeks get warm again. God, he was touching him wasn’t he? What had gotten into him?

“So that’s where Bill heard that. No one else has ever told me that it’s just different before,” Richie murmured. Eddie frowned at that and stroked his cheek again.

“I don’t know what other people have told you, but you’re not an abomination. If that were true that means we were never supposed to meet, and…I think I’d be rather…empty if we were to stay separated,” Eddie told him. He tried to pick his words carefully to fully express how he felt, but it was a little difficult when Richie made him feel so many things he wasn’t prepared for.

“You…do you feel empty without me now? When I’m not around?” Richie asked. He looked down at his hands around his bowl, and Eddie put his free hand on his wrist to reassure him.

“It’s noticeable when you’re not around. Life feels like it has no point because no one is trying to act as childish as possible without getting caught,” he teased. Richie chuckled at that, and moved his arm until their fingers met. He looked Eddie in the eyes and then down to his lips.

“What’s the point in life if you can’t have any fun?” He hummed looking back to his eyes. 

That brief glance to his lips almost took Eddie’s breath away. Suddenly the only thing he wanted at that point was for Richie to kiss him. Kiss him hard and pull him closer until all the space between them was non existant. His body pressing against his, and his hands traveling wherever they desired. Strong long fingers that could curl around his clothes, his face, his hair, and Eddie would drown in it. He’d willingly lose his life for the chance to feel Richie’s lips against his only once, and that all terrified him as well as made him feel the most alive he had in a long time. He sprung up to his feet before he could stupidly act on any of these impulses. Richie was just charming, right? There was no way Eddie actually had an attraction towards him.

“We should get back to Bill,” he said simply and turned to grab his own bowl. He brushed the dirt off the bottom of the dish and then turned to smile up at Richie.

“That sounds like a good idea. It’ll be getting dark soon anyways,” he agreed. Eddie nodded and lead the way back inside.


	2. A bump in the night

After that Richie seemed to soften up a little when they were alone. Before he was very rough around the corners. Poking and prodding Eddie until he got the reaction he wanted or yelled at. His smile never leaving his face as Eddie’s only got hotter and redder as they continued. No, now his face was red from how tender he was. It was clear where his affections decided to settle, and for some reason Eddie wasn’t upset with it. His alone time with Richie was spent almost reciprocating it for once. Allowing himself to smile back, and return his flirty words without fear of another person watching them. Without another person judging them. He soon came to love his alone time with Richie, and looked forward to it as he tried not to be so obvious about it.

Less than a month in, he was set to go riding with Bill to be familiar with the horses and the grounds. He’s ridden horses before, he wasn’t so poor before not to have any transportation, but these horses were much better behaved than the purebreds his mother insisted they have. Bill took him across the field where his father liked to play croquet with members of the court and other important figures from out of the country for meetings. The fields were wide and specious and led to a patch of woods that they owned. He then lead Eddie through to the path that lead to town. They only went as far as the edge of town before turning back so no one noticed Bill riding with another man. Then they came behind the stables to the water hole they had. Bill looked out across the water as he watched the horses drink, and then smiled at Eddie. Eddie smiled back, but felt his throat get tight at the idea of talking. It had been a bit awkward between them since the engagement.

“So, what do you th-think?” Bill asked. Eddie looked across the water.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, Bill. Thank you,” he said. Bill nodded and smiled.

“I’m glad. I-I’m also glad I could take you away f-from that terrible woman,” he murmured bitterly. Eddie smiled.

“I am too,” he agreed. They looked at each other and then back to the water. It was quiet between them for a moment before Eddie felt the need to speak. “Did…did you and Richie ever…” he trailed off. Too embarrassed to finish his sentence. Thankfully Bill seemed to read his mind.

“Richie and I u-used to think that because we both have affections for m-men that we would like each other. Th-that wasn’t really the case, and thankfully we f-figured that out before we ever even tried to have sex,” Bill told him truthfully. Eddie absorbed that information and tried to remain calm, but for some reason he felt himself burn with jealousy.

“Oh…I see.”

“It was nothing s-special, Eddie. It was like if w-we tried to take this engagement seriously,” Bill assured him. Eddie nodded.

“That’s…yeah, I can see how that wouldn’t work.”

“He really likes y-you, though,” he announced. Eddie felt his heart skip at that, but tried to remain neutral.

“Is that so?” He hummed. Bill chuckled.

“You don’t have to sound so p-pleased,” he teased. Eddie blushed and flared at him.

“I am not! I’m just acknowledging what you’ve told me.”

“As if you c-couldn’t already tell. C’mon, I know how much time you t-two spend together,” Bill grinned. Eddie looked away shyly.

“Whatever. I’m hungry, so I’m going back,” he said and trotted towards the stables.

Bill laughed loudly behind him, but followed him to the stables. They got off their horses and fed them before returning to the castle for dinner. The king joined them for once, but he spent the whole time going over plans and documents with Bill. Eddie ate in silence as Richie stood to the side. Whenever Bill was busy he sometimes forgot to invite Richie to sit with them, and because Richie always tried to do his job right he never assumed he was welcomed. Eddie played with his food, glanced at the king and the prince, and then back to Richie. He looked alert, but he could tell he was bored, so he set down his fork and got up without notice.

“Dinner is boring tonight. Come to the kitchens with me,” Eddie told him. Richie blinked at him and then at Bill before nodding and following him down.

“Fuck, I’m glad you did that. Bill is totally fucking dead in there,” Richie sighed as they walked into the kitchen. It was clear of workers and absolutely spotless. Eddie felt a little bad ruining it, but he wanted to make something.

“Let’s make a bread,” Eddie proposed and looked through the materials. “A fast bread. Let’s use…zucchinis,” he said piling the gourds into Richie’s arms.

“Oh? Is this a dinner bread or a sweet bread?” Richie asked.

“A delicious bread,” Eddie answered and hauled the flour and sugar to the butcher block counter. “Use that knife to skin and chop those,” he instructed. Richie’s jaw dropped at the insinuation that he would be doing something and looked at the blade on the wall.

“You’re expecting me to help you?” He asked. Eddie raised a brow at him.

“I didn’t ask you to come down to watch, did I?” He sassed.

“I…guess not.”

Under Eddie’s instructions, Richie managed to be helpful as they made the zucchini bread together. At first Eddie spent a lot of time laughing at him trying to operate in a kitchen, but as they went on he started to get the hang of it. He was actually very good at doing what he was told when he wanted to do what he was told, and for some reason Eddie found that rather interesting. Maybe less interesting and more attractive…perhaps adorable was the word he was looking for. Whatever it was, it made him feel happy that Richie wanted to follow his instructions. He fanned the flames in the oven, and then placed the bread inside it and closed the door.

“You are quite amazing, Eds. I don’t know a lot of people who can think of a recipe off the top of his head, and I’m very familiar with the kitchen staff,” Richie said as Eddie started wiping down the counter. He rolled his eyes and started to attend to the dishes he put to soak in soapy water as they worked.

“You clearly have not met my mother. Efficiency and cleanliness is all that matters to her no matter how impossible it is,” he replied and scrubbed the bits that didn’t get soaked off. Richie came up beside him and started rinsing dishes that he wasn’t scrubbing.

“I don’t need to meet that woman to tell that I don’t quite like her,” Richie said. Eddie bit his lip as he scrubbed the mixing bowl that had the batter.

“Bill told me you quite like me,” he said focusing on his scrubbing. He could feel Richie’s eyes on the side of his face and only looked to hand him the bowl. He took it and smiled as Eddie continued as if he merely mentioned the weather.

“I supposed he wasn’t lying…although I might have a few words with him about what he should and shouldn’t share with others,” Richie replied.

“You say that like I couldn’t tell by myself,” Eddie said simply. He looked over and for the first time he saw Richie blush.

“Well…I didn’t realize how obvious my affections were,” he said. Eddie smiled a little and handed him the next dish.

“And to an engaged man. How devious,” he teased. Richie chuckled and took it.

“Do you enjoy my affections? Or do they put you off?” Richie asked. Eddie slowed his scrubbing for a moment and then grabbed a few smaller dishes to place in the rinsing basin.

“I find your affections…to be sweeter recently. Something made you softer,” he said. Richie reached for his hand and Eddie stopped to look at their hands in the water and then up to Richie.

“I’m only soft for you, Eds,” he said simply. Eddie blushed and blinked up at him with wide eyes.

“I’ve never quite…enjoyed the attention from a man before…but…” he trailed off looking to Richie’s lips and then back to his waiting eager eyes. “…I like yours. It’s…addicting.”

“Is it? Well, I’m always willing to give you more,” Richie said leaning closer. Eddie panicked and quickly reached for the last dish to pass on.

“Adultery is a crime,” he said simply. Richie scoffed at that.

“As if this marriage is lawful in any way. It’s only allowed because of Bill’s status,” Richie said sounding bitter. Eddie frowned at that and shook his head.

“If you’re going to be a fucking asshole, then I’d prefer you to leave the rest of the cleaning to me,” Eddie said. Richie was quiet for a moment before sighing and wiping his hands.

“I should get back to Bill,” he said simply before leaving the room. Eddie looked over his shoulder to watch him leave, and then felt gutted in his absence. How unfair…

He avoided Richie for a few days after that. His offer left Eddie contemplating his role in everything, and wondering if it would matter that much to indulge him. He’s already technically breaking the law just by marrying Bill, but it’s also technically not since his documents were changed. Was what Richie offering really that bad compare to all of that? Would Bill be upset if Eddie wanted to engage with Richie’s affections more? Would he be insulted if Eddie let Richie in and shared such intimate moments that only lovers shared. Touch in a way only lovers touch? Was Richie even offering that much?

These questions circled his brain as he stared up at his ceiling. He had been trying to sleep for hours, and he was failing miserably at it. The only thing he could think about was Richie, and it was slowly driving him made. It had only been a few days since he refused Richie’s company, but he felt he was dying without it. The helpless look of absolute pain and disappointment on his face when he turned Richie away didn’t help either, and he had to fight the urge to smooth away his frown. He closed his eyes so he could properly imagine once again what it would feel like to kiss Richie, when he heard a noise from outside. 

Eddie clutched his blankets tightly, and curled in on himself at the sound of metal rubbing against itself. There was another noise, and soon his door knob was being jostled. It failed to open, but Eddie’s heart was already pounding as if it didn’t. He tried to lay as still as possible when the metallic rubbing continued.

His room was always locked, and Richie was always the one to lock it. Whoever was on the other side didn’t have a key, and that meant they weren’t supposed to be in the castle. There were footsteps outside, and a curse before the jostling stopped and louder footsteps lead away from his door. Light peaked from under Eddie’s door, and he held his pillow tightly as his lungs raced. His heart was so loud he could hear the blood pulsing through his ears. Then the door unlocked, and he tried to remain quiet as a dark figure rushed to the side of his bed.

“Hey, Eds. Are you awake?” Richie’s voice met his ears and Eddie was instantly filled with relief.

“Yes,” he whispered back. Richie then reached for him and Eddie stood up.

“C’mon. We need to get you somewhere safe,” Richie said. He got to his feet, but he was trembling as he followed after Richie. There was a strong arm around his shoulders, and Eddie was thankful for Richie’s hand in his. They made their way down to the kitchen where Bill and his mother and father already were, and Eddie felt relieved to be out of the dark. He continued to hold onto Richie as they sat down, and Bill rubbed his back too to comfort him.

“What…whats happening? I heard someone trying to get in,” Eddie said. Once he finally said it out loud his entire body froze up and he felt panicked all over again.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me,” Richie cooed. Bill nodded and took Eddie’s other hand.

“No need to cry, dear. You’re safe,” the queen cooed. He didn’t even realize he was crying and let go of Bill’s hand to feel the wetness over his cheeks.

“Fuck…” he said choking on a sob.

“I got you, okay? Here…” Richie pulled Eddie close against him and allowed the other man burry his face in his shoulder.

“Eddie what happened here tonight is…still undetermined, but someone tried to break into your room. I’m not sure if they’ve found him yet. Right now it’s too dark to inspect if they broke in or came from the inside, but we will be investigating this as soon as the sun returns and we can see,” the king assured him.

“Why…why my room? Did he look anywhere else?” Eddie asked.

“We aren’t sure who else, but he started with Bill’s room. He was very loud about it, so Richie heard it in the next room over. By the time he got to your room he could’ve tried five other rooms, but we aren’t sure. It’s thanks to Richie that we were able to put together a search team so quickly,” the king said. Eddie nodded, his head tucked against Richie’s neck in a way that allowed him to peek up at the man speaking to him.

“Thank you…” Eddie whispered. Suddenly the door was unlocked and the head guard came rushing down the stairs.

“We got him, your highness. He’s been thrown in the prison for tonight, and he’ll be ready for questioning in the morning,” he reported. There was a breath of relief in the room.

“Was he armed?” Bill asked. He nodded.

“Yes, he had a small knife on him. He might have more hidden in other places, but I left to report before he was stripped,” he said. Richie’s grip tightened on Eddie’s shoulders and he appreciated the comfort.

“Keep a rotation out for the rest of the night, okay? I want a man in every hallway, and two permanently stationed in front of Edward’s and William’s rooms. I don’t want any accomplices sneaking in and disturbing their sleep,” the king instructed. He nodded.

“Yessir!”

They were all lead to their rooms one by one with a small group of guards. The king and queen were set off first, and then Bill, and Richie walked with Eddie as they made their way to his room. His arm around Eddie’s shaking body was a constant, and Eddie appreciated that as he felt the need to be stable. He was trembling a little less by the time they got to his doors, but it was still pretty bad. Richie kissed the top of his head to say goodnight, but Eddie didn’t want to let him go.

“Can you please stay with me tonight?” Eddie requested quietly. Richie was silent for a moment.

“Of course, Eds. Let’s get you to bed.”

Richie nodded to the guards and opened the door for Eddie to walk in first. He lit a candle as Eddie slowly made his way to the bed. His body continued to shiver with fear as he crawled back into the spacious bed, and he sighed in relief to feel the warmth of his sheets again. The bodyguard opened his cabinet and pulled out a pile of blankets and a pillow for himself. Eddie appeared to be waiting as he hugged himself for warmth, and then frowned when he noticed Richie laying out the sheets in a makeshift bed.

“Richie, what are you doing?” Eddie asked. The guard stopped and looked up at the other man. He must’ve looked so small and scared alone in such a big bed. It was so much bigger than the bed he had at home.

“I’m laying my bedding,” he said simply. Eddie shook his head and moved over. He patted the spot next to him with pleading eyes, and it took all of Richie’s effort to resist. “Eds, I shouldn’t—“

“ _Please_ , Richie. I need you,” he begged. The guard sighed and set the pillow down haphazardly before moving closer to the bed. He peeled off his boots and his belt, and then crawled into the bed next to Eddie.

“Is the candle okay, or should I put it out?” Richie asked. Eddie pulled him down closer and made himself comfortable against Richie’s chest. He clung to him, his arms wrapped tightly around the other man’s torso, and tried not to cry with relief to have warmth and comfort again.

“It’s okay for now. Let it burn out,” he murmured. Richie returned the affection and stroked Eddie’s hair while settling his arms around the smaller man.

“Okay…you’re okay,” Richie cooed. 

Eddie nuzzled Richie’s neck and took a few deep breaths. He smelled so nice. Like the garden and the kitchen when the weather is warm. His skin soft and warm when his fingers brushed his ear stroking his hair. The even breaths of his lungs grounding and easy for Eddie to mimic to calm himself down. His eyes were already closed, but being so warm and close to Richie made them feel even heavier with sleep. He yawned a little and then snuggled closer before eventually drifting off to sleep.


	3. A miscommunication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: f-slur, internalized homophobia, slapping, mentions of r*pe

The next morning Eddie woke up alone, and he instantly mourned the warmth he had last night. Now he was cold and shivering under his blanket. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and moved to get up and dressed. The castle was quiet for once, so Eddie made his way to the throne room. If he couldn’t find Bill or the king, the throne room was the first place he would check. It was where they made most of their plans and signed off most of their documents, so it was a logical place to look. When he peeked in he found three pairs of eyes snap to him, and felt sheepish standing in the middle of such huge doors. It made him feel small. 

Bill, his father, and Richie were all looking at him like they were scared of what he would say. He stood there awkwardly before deciding to close the door and walk into the room. Richie was the first to look away, and that stung.

“Eddie. It’s good to see you awake,” the king said. Eddie smiled and nodded.

“Thank you. Sorry if I slept a bit late. I have no idea what time it is,” Eddie said.

“W-we decided to let you sleep in today,” Bill assured him. Eddie nodded at that and glanced at Richie. He was looking at the floor.

“So what did I miss?” He asked. Bill and his father looked at each other and then to Eddie.

“Uh…we interrogated the intruder from last night, and…” the king hesitated, but Eddie merely waited patiently for him to finish.

“The intruder was a servant of your mother and step-f-father. He said he was s-sent to either capture you and b-bring you back, or, if you ref-fused…k…k-kill you,” Bill finished up. Eddie’s eyes widened in shock as he listened, and he felt them start to water again.

“My mother…sent to kill me?” He asked. The kind nodded and Eddie sniffled.

“Needless to say, she will be kicked off the court and brought to justice. Her entire livelihood, along with your fathers, shall be stripped and they shall be sent off to pay for their crimes. I’m so sorry, Edward,” the king said. Eddie was still processing the fact that his mother tried to kill him last night, but nodded nonetheless.

“Right…okay.”

“W-we were thinking…we would repossess the house from her and her n-new husband. Once we have the d-deed, it only seems right to give it to y-you,” Bill told him. Eddie blinked up at him and a tear finally fell. His childhood home. It could belong to him once and for all.

“Oh, Bill…” he sobbed and moved to hug him. Bill hugged him back, but Eddie was distracted when Richie got up and abruptly left the room.

“What…was it something I did?” Eddie asked as the door stood ajar.

“Giving you the deed was Richie’s idea, but he stopped talking once you came in,” the kind said. Eddie sighed and quickly wiped his tears.

“I’ll be back,” he promised and then turned to chase after Richie. He had gotten a good distance down the hall before Eddie reached him, and he still didn’t stop until Eddie yelled at him.

“Richie!” He cried. The guard stopped and he took a moment before turning to face Eddie. He looked less than happy, but Eddie was still on the verge of tears trying to hold them back. “Richie…”

“What? What else can I do for you? Do you need another teddy bear?” Richie asked bluntly. Eddie blinked at him and furrowed his brows.

“What…Richie, what’s wrong?” He asked.

“With me? There’s a lot of things wrong with me, and you know that,” Richie said and tried to leave again. Eddie quickly scrambled after him and tugged at his wrist to stop him.

“Richie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why didn’t you wake me this morning? I wanted to be with you,” Eddie said blinking up at him with those big round wet eyes of his.

“Why? Does it entertain you?” Richie snapped. Eddie blinked, his jaw slack in surprise.

“Entertain me? How…what?”

“You said I’m simply a man who loves differently. You said you liked the affection I give you, but you seem to have nothing in return for me. Does it satisfy you to see men do anything for you? First you’re Bill’s property, and now it’s fun to watch me fall over myself for you?” Richie accused. Eddie shook his head, but couldn’t find any words to reply with. “Is it not enough to burn me like the other faggots? They are nothing but ordinary men out there who die for loving the way I do, but because your precious Bill loves that way too and protects me, you can’t burn us. No, you’d rather watch me dance. Laugh at the faggot instead of burn him because he thought you might love the way he does. You are cold, and I wish I never—“ Richie was interrupted by a quick slap across the face. Eddie regretted it instantly, but he couldn’t let Richie speak for him anymore. He burned with anger to think that was what Richie thought of him.

“Listen to me, Richard Tozier. My mother raised me like I was made of glass, so I don’t have a trashmouth like you that spews garbage whenever I please. How _dare_ you assume my thoughts and feelings on _anything_. The way I feel is privy to no one except myself, and the way you paint me could not be farther from the truth!” He snapped. Richie rubbed his cheek where Eddie slapped him, and he looked at him with equally wide eyes. 

“Eds…”

“How dare you! How _dare_ you! You have no idea the position I’m in, and the fact that you think I hate you for something you can’t change or control is absolutely frightening! If you really want to know how I feel you should’ve asked me instead of try to fill in the blanks yourself,” he shouted and then turned to run down the hall. Richie tried to follow him, but he ran out the first door that lead outside.

Rain pelted down against the earth as Eddie ran to the horse stalls. He secured the saddle around the horse he rode last, and hopped on it before riding out across the field towards the woods. There was no rhyme or reason behind where he wanted to go. He just wanted to run away somewhere and forget the pain eating away at his stomach. His mother was still on his mind, and the everlasting pressure of the fact that he was engaged to his best friend, and then with Richie he was just sad.

Eddie was sad that he couldn’t understand how he felt about Richie. He wanted to tell him that he loved him more than life itself, but he knew it wasn’t the way he was supposed to be. His mother would always go on about the perfect wife for him, and he always imagined one day marrying a woman. Now all he could imagine was Richie. Even Bill was starting to stress him out because he wasn’t sure he wanted to give away his hand yet. Apart of him wanted to be fully dedicated to Richie. Forget all the rules and the whispers and just let himself love and be loved. Richie made him feel alive and he made him thrive. No one else made him feel that way. To imagine Richie thought he was capable of such hateful thinking brought him to tears because of how deeply he loved him.

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the sound of a horse whining behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Richie catching up to him on his own horse. For some reason he panicked and tried to force his horse to go faster. He could just see the trees in front of him, but before he could hit the soft carpet of pine needles the horse slipped. The animal crashed to the ground, and Eddie was launched into the nearest tree. He cut his forehead on the bark, and felt dizzy when he blinked up at the parachutes of leaves above him. He could hear his name being called in the distance, but he was too disoriented to understand what was happening. It was only when he felt familiar warm arms around his body and blink up at the man towering over him did he register it as Richie.

“Eddie! Are you okay? Are you still in there? Please, just give me some type of response, Eds,” Richie begged. Eddie blinked up at him, and his face only multiplied the more he tried to focus on him.

“Richie, I…I-I’m dizzy,” he managed to say.

“Richie! Is Eddie o-okay?” Bill’s voice bellowed from nearby.

“He’s responding, but he hit his head pretty hard,” Richie called back. Eddie closed his eyes and winced at the volume.

“I need…just leave me,” Eddie pouted. Richie shook his head and then gathered Eddie up in his arms princess style.

“Not a chance. That was really fucking stupid of you,” Richie said. Eddie frowned at that and half heartedly hit his chest.

“I’m mad at you,” he reminded him.

“Yeah, and you’re bleeding too, so that overrules you being mad at me,” Richie said.

“Says who?” Eddie challenged.

“Says literally the fact that I don’t want you to die or lose your head, Eds,” he snapped.

“I’ll get the h-horses, and I’ll get a fire started for him in the lounge. The nurse w-will meet you there,” Bill told them.

“Sounds good,” Richie nodded.

“Stop shouting,” Eddie complained.

“Jesus, I’m talking to Bill. I wouldn’t be shouting if you didn’t try to run away like that,” Richie grumbled. Eddie pouted and blinked slowly.

“I’m tired,” he said quietly.

“No sleeping on me now. I want you to stay awake, okay?” Richie replied. Eddie tried to argue, but didn’t have the energy to.

“…fine.”

It took a while for Richie to carry Eddie across the fields. He had managed to get pretty far on the horse, and the woods weren’t very close to the castle. Still, Eddie found himself not too upset being carried in Richie’s arms for a prolonged amount of time. What was really impressive was how he seemed to not even break a sweat over it. He cradled Eddie’s body like a doll, and his body was so warm and firm despite how skinny he looked sometimes. Once they got about half way Eddie had settled his hand over Richie’s heart, and closed his eyes as he felt it beating under his palm. He opened them again and affectionately rubbed his thumb against Richie’s blouse.

The castle was already ten times warmer when they got inside, and the lounge was even warmer then that as Richie set him on the couch. The nurse was already there and started to clean Eddie’s head wound. It was a small enough gash that he only bandaged it, and then gave him a little medicine for the pain. He instructed Richie to keep him awake until bed time, and Richie nodded before he left. Once they were alone he looked over at Eddie from the chair he had pulled over, and then down at his feet.

“Eds—“

“I need you to give me some space today, Richie,” Eddie announced bluntly. Richie looked at him like he just announced the end of the world, and then slowly nodded.

“That’s…fair,” he agreed. He stood up, but Eddie grabbed his hand before he could get far.

“I don’t want you to be thinking about what I _might_ be feeling…I want you to think about what I told you, okay? Please don’t…please don’t make me say those terrible things in your head. I could never just…” he sighed and gingerly pressed his forehead against the back of Richie’s hand. “I could never just…burn you. Laugh at you. I can’t…I’d never. Please don’t make me say that.” Richie was quiet for a moment before moving his hand to caress Eddie’s cheek.

“I won’t…I’ll think about what you said,” he promised. Eddie nodded and sniffled before taking his hand again and kissing his palm.

“Can you send someone else in? I’m tired, but I shouldn’t sleep,” he requested. Richie nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

“Of course. I’ll send Bill,” he said.

“Thank you.”

It was amusing to watch Bill play nurse for the day. He gave Eddie his medicine every three hours like the nurse told him, and made sure to keep Eddie awake all day. They weren’t allowed to do much, so Bill read to him in between meals and played the piano when it got closer to when he was allowed to sleep. He sat with Eddie as they drank tea together on the couch, and engaged in light chatting. It was nice to ignore everything that just happened. Especially with his mother, but also with Richie. Even though it was nice not to talk about it, that didn’t mean he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“…Bill,” Eddie murmured.

“Y-yes?” Bill replied drinking the last of his tea.

“I think I’m in love with Richie,” he told him. He started at the tea leaves settled at the bottom of his cup and blinked at then sadly.

“You…you are? I th-thought you had no interest in men,” Bill said. Eddie shrugged.

“I don’t know. I never got to know a lot of people. My mother kept me cooking and cleaning for too long. Even if I did meet people, I wasn’t allowed to see them outside the house,” he replied. “I thought I wasn’t capable of it. She told me I’d find a woman, but that idea was always a goal without a purpose. I don’t care for women. I don’t care for men. All I know is that I care for Richie.” Bill nodded.

“That’s fair…have you t-told him? Is that what your fight was a-about?” He asked. Eddie shook his head. It felt much better thanks to the medication and rest.

“No…he thinks I don’t love him at all. He thinks I…I hate him,” Eddie told him. Bill furrowed his brows.

“How much do you kn-know about Richie?” He questioned. Eddie frowned.

“Not a lot…mostly the things I’ve observed. He doesn’t talk about himself a lot,” Eddie answered. Bill sighed.

“When I found Richie…h-he was on trial for sodomy. We were sixteen when we m-meet, and I only happened to be in c-c-court that day by chance,” he explained.

“He was on trial?” Eddie frowned. Bill nodded.

“He was tricked by an o-older man in the court. What he did was…f-f-fucking awful. He lead Richie to believe they were in love a-and then claimed R-Richie…r…raped him,” Bill continued. He was clearly upset delving into the past. It made sense why Richie didn’t want to talk about it.

“That’s awful,” Eddie frowned. Bill nodded in agreement.

“I saw right through it…I t-told my father…’look at him. D-does that look like someone wh-who is capable of what he’s accused of? H-he’s a boy. H-he’s shaking. He’s just like m-me’. That was the first time my father let me make an important d-decision in the court, and I immediately h-hired him on as a bodyguard,” Bill said. Eddie felt his heart ache even more for Richie, and he suddenly wished he could hug him.

“You’re a good man, Bill,” Eddie murmured. Bill shrugged.

“I was there for Richie, but…e-every day we have sodomy trials because it’s outlawed. M-most of the time they’re couples who were t-t-tipped off. I’ve been trying to g-get my father to change the law, b-but he says the court will never uphold it,” he sighed. Eddie frowned and rubbed his back.

“I think you can do it. Once you’re king, it’ll be easier to make those decisions. It just sucks you have to wait so long to make a good change,” Eddie said. Bill nodded.

“It’ll be the first thing I ch-change,” he promised.

That night Eddie slept in the lounge room with a nurse by his side the whole night. They traded off in the middle of the night so they weren’t dead tired, but Eddie was fast asleep for that. When he did wake up they checked his wound and cleaned the dressing. It stopped bleeding and had gone down in size, so the bandage was smaller now. He thanked the doctor, ate breakfast, and took his bottle of medicine before leaving to his own room.

When he got to his door he was surprised to see Richie already standing there. He had a slice of what looked like a poor replica of the zucchini bread they made together that one time, and he was pacing in front of his door. Occasionally he’d stop and approach the door to knock, but he always lowered his fist and just glared at the bread instead. Then Eddie came closer and tapped his shoulder. Richie immediately spun around and looked down at Eddie with wide eager eyes.

“Eds! Uh…how long have you been standing there?” He asked.

“Long enough. What are you doing?” Eddie replied.

“I thought you were in your room, and…” he held out the plate to show the bread. “I tried to ask one of the head chefs about that bread we made together that one time, and…I don’t think he understood what I was saying. Mostly because it was the French one, but also because I barely knew what we were doing the first time. So uh…yeah.”

“You…made this?”

“Yes—for you! I made it…uh, I made it for you,” Richie clarified. 

He blinked up at him in awe. No one had ever cooked something specifically for Eddie before. He was still getting used to the idea that his meals would be prepared for him and everyone else in the castle on a regular basis, but this was an actual gift. The last time he received a gift was from his father before he passed, but he suspected his mother hid it from him over the years since he hadn’t seen it since after he passed.

“I thought a lot about what you said yesterday, like you asked, and…you’re right. I was getting in my own head, and I was preparing myself for the worst when I had no idea what was going on in _your_ head. It wasn’t fair of me to decide your feelings for me, and I really should’ve asked. So that’s what I’m going to do now,” Richie explained. 

Eddie looked from him to the bread on the plate. It looked like a pound cake with zucchini skin folded in with the batter before they cooked it. As unappetizing as it looked, he still couldn’t get over the fact that Richie made it for him. 

“Eds, how do you feel about me? Like…how do you actually feel about me? I’m not expecting anything, I just really want to know because I…” he trailed off and struggled to find the words for a moment. “…I haven’t really been able to stop thinking about you since I first saw you. Then we started spending time together and it was even worse, and then it seemed like you actually enjoyed my company and…I really enjoyed yours too,” he said.

It was silent between them for a moment as Eddie looked up from the bread to Richie’s face. His eyes earnest and honest, and his brows furrowed in a mixture of fear and impatience. Without much thought, Eddie knocked the plate out of his hand in favor of grabbing his face and pulling him down into a kiss. Richie seemed surprised, needless to say, but caught on quick as Eddie pushed him up against the door. He held Eddie’s face as Eddie reached for the door knob and dragged him into his room. They locked the door behind them, and Eddie let Richie gingerly back him up against it to kiss him again.

Eddie belatedly remembered that he’s never kissed anyone else before this. Man or woman, he’s never experience this with another person before. Richie’s lips felt so much warmer and softer than Eddie imagined, and he was so gentle when he cupped his face. He wanted more and more, and found himself pressing kisses around Richie’s mouth and down his neck as he ran his fingers through his hair. Richie seemed to love that, and let go of his face to hold his body closer instead. Eddie ran his fingers over Richie’s blouse and returned to his lips again after his little detour down his throat.

“Fuck, Eddie,” Richie gasped between kisses. Eddie moaned quietly and cupped his face again.

“I love you, Richie. I can barely believe it. I mean…it just shouldn’t make sense, but…”

“But it does?” Richie asked sounding hopeful. Eddie nodded and then pulled him into another kiss.

“It does. It really does. Richie, I’m in love with you,” Eddie whimpered and kissed his jaw.

“Christ…I never thought I’d hear another man say that to me,” Richie gasped.

“I love you, Richie Tozier,” he repeated while kissing his cheek.

“Shit. I was hoping you’d at least feel something, _anything_ , for me, Eds. I was willing to take the time to make you comfortable until you wanted to say—“

“I love you. Do you love me, Richie?” He asked. Richie groaned and kissed Eddie deeply on the lips.

“So much. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. You make me feel so full of life, baby,” Richie answered. Eddie pulled back to blink up at him with wide eyes.

“Richie…kiss me on the bed, please,” he requested. Richie nodded eagerly and picked Eddie up to carry him to the mattress. The sheets and comforter were freshly laid out, and they instantly ruined it as Richie pressed Eddie against the cushions.

“Feels so good to kiss you…I’ve wanted to for so long now,” Richie murmured and kissed up Eddie’s ear. He giggled from how that tickled and then let Richie touch his waist as he kissed and sucked on his skin.

“You say that like I’ve been here for years,” Eddie teased. He meant to sound more haughty, but he couldn’t stop the way Richie’s lips made him gasp for breath.

“When it comes to your lips, a day is an eternity,” Richie cooed and returned to his lover’s mouth. Eddie eagerly accepted the affection and wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck.

“To me, a second is devastating,” Eddie whispered against his lips. Richie moaned from that alone and kissed him harder.

“I missed you yesterday. I wanted to be there when you woke up, but I needed to be at that meeting, and—“

“It’s okay…honey, it’s okay,” Eddie soothed. He stroked Richie’s hair and then held his face. “You can be there when I wake up tomorrow,” he said simply and smiled as Richie perked up at that.

“Really? You’ll let me?”

“Of course I will.”

“I said such terrible things to you, Eds. I’m so sorry. I should’ve asked. I never thought about what you’re dealing with—“

“I’m sorry I slapped you,” Eddie interrupted. Richie blinked at him.

“I…”

“And I’m sorry I ran away and scared you. I didn’t know what to do. I…I don’t want to marry Bill when I love you so much,” Eddie confessed. Richie’s eyes widened at that.

“You mean…you’d pick me? You would…”

“Of course I would. I’m only marrying Bill because my mother sold me to him,” Eddie replied. Richie blinked, absolutely flabbergasted.

“You’d pick me over Bill? Eds, I have nothing,” he said. Eddie nodded.

“I know…that’s why I love you. You have nothing, but you’ve really given me the most,” he said softly. Richie bit his lip and then swooped down to kiss him again.

“Richie…” Eddie whimpered against his lips before kissing him back.

It was a little devious for them to be so affectionate with each other so early in the morning. Eddie hadn’t even changed out of his pyjamas yet, and he also couldn’t stop feeling the the bare skin of Richie’s chest exposed from the slit in the front of his shirt. Richie was between his legs, but he kept their groins separate as they kissed. He couldn’t help but be curious how it would feel if they were to leave no space between them. How warm it would be if they stripped and laid nude together in the sheets. He now craved to feel more of Richie’s skin, and kiss him with even more fever and desperation than before.

“Eddie…baby…” Richie moaned.

“Richie…I want to feel you…want to touch you. I want to be as close as I can to you,” Eddie whispered.

Before Richie could properly respond there was a knock on the door. A rush of fear chilled through their bodies, and they instantly scrambled away from each other. Then Eddie remembered he locked the door and quickly fixed his clothes and wiped his mouth to unlock it. Richie put as much space between himself and the bed while trying to remain out of sight when Eddie opened the door.

“Bill,” Eddie greeted as he laid eyes on his best friend and fiancé in front of him. Bill smiled.

“H-hey, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said. Eddie shook his head, hoping his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“No, not at all. What is it?” He asked.

“I just came to t-tell you the wedding had been postponed to bring your mother and step father to court faster. I thought, and my f-father agreed, that the wedding would be a lot more joyous if we didn’t have them to w-worry about,” Bill told him. Eddie felt a little elation at the idea of putting off the wedding and nodded happily.

“That’s a great idea! Thank you for telling me.”

“Perfect. Also, we’ll have the t-tailor in here to take your measurements in a day or so.”

“Oh, okay. For what?”

“For your appearance in c-court. You’ll be attending for your testimony,” Bill told him. Eddie‘s stomach dropped at the idea of speaking in front of so many people. It dropped even further as he realized he would have to see his mother again. Fear crept up his body again and he blinked at Bill with wide eyes.

“I…do I have to?” He asked quietly. Bill frowned.

“Eddie, your t-testimony is the most important p-piece. The j-judge will want to hear it since you were the one s-sold and then sought after,” Bill explained. Eddie then nodded, but continued to frown.

“Okay…if I must…” he murmured. Bill gave him a little pat on the shoulder and nodded back.

“W-we’re here to protect you,” he promised. Eddie then finally smiled, but it was brief. “H-have you seen Richie this morning? I could’ve sworn I saw him in the k-kitchen.”

“Uh, no. I haven’t seen him…but he might be close by,” Eddie answered glancing down at the bread and the plate they left earlier. Bill looked as well and chuckled.

“I’ll never understand that man. I need to go f-find him, so I’ll talk to y-you later,” Bill said. Eddie nodded and smiled before he walked off and then closed the door behind him. He leaned against it and looked at Richie who looked just as bewildered at what Bill had said.

“…I guess I’m going to court…I’ve never been before,” he said. Richie nodded.

“Yes, well…at least the wedding is postponed,” he pointed out. Eddie smiled at that.

“Yes. At least that,” he replied.


	4. The weight of words

The days and weeks leading up to court weren’t very fun to say the least. Not only was Eddie overwhelmed with a sudden onslaught of lessons on etiquette and posture and public speaking, but he was also becoming increasingly addicted to the tension he developed between himself and Richie. Ever since the intruder confirmed he was after Eddie specifically, the king assigned Richie to be his bodyguard instead of Bill’s for the time being. Bill encouraged and supported that decision, and had his own replacement instead. Since then, Richie had been with him for almost every hour of every day leading up to their day in court. He was there for the lessons, and the fittings, and the meetings. Under the special circumstances he was encouraged to sleep in Eddie’s room as well, but no one really suspected that they were sharing a bed more often than not.

Compared to the rest of Eddie’s life, these events were moving much faster than he’s ever experienced. The court date was two weeks away from when they broke in, but he supposed that’s how things worked for royalty. He was nervous to sit in front of everyone, but he was terrified to see his mother again after learning she wanted him dead. Everything inside him was telling him that if his mother spoke, everyone would believe her lies. She would spin this tale about how much she loved her son, and was forced to either sell him or go into a debt she created herself. He knew it was ridiculous, but there’s been too many instances where she said the same old lies and everyone ate it up. Hopefully they wouldn’t be so gullible this time.

“It’s important to remember that we aren’t going to mention the engagement,” the king reminded Eddie as they prepared for the hearing in a couple days. He nodded.

“Yessir.”

“That you were sold as a servant and not a bride. The court members know of Bill’s affections, but it’s rude to acknowledge them. If she tries to bring it up, they will be unsympathetic to her,” he told him.

“In all honesty, sir, I find that rather possible. My mother is vile. She will say anything to anyone who will believe it,” he warned. The king nodded and glanced at Richie by the door. He gave the guard a signal to leave, and Richie glanced at Eddie before leaving the room.

“Speaking of your engagement to my son…I’ve been informed by some of the staff that you have grown rather close to another person. Bill himself has told me that…you have affection for someone else,” he said. Eddie’s blood went cold and he hesitated before nodding.

“Bill never said he disapproved,” Eddie murmured.

“Yes, we’ll Bill isn’t a traditionalist. I’m not too cold as to tell you that what you’re doing is intolerable, but…I will say that there is a distinct difference between _feeling_ and _doing_. You may love another, but I didn’t think I’d have to tell you that adultery is a crime I take very seriously. If I continue to hear about this behavior after the wedding…I’ll have no choice but to enforce consequences,” the king said. His heart started racing faster in his chest, and he shakily nodded his head.

“…yessir…”

“It’s about time for your last fitting. The tailor will be in the workshop. Have Richard lead you there,” he said.

“Thank you, sir,” he mumbled and got up once he was dismissed.

The minute he was out of the throne room he felt Richie by his side. He seemed just as excitable as ever, and it was honestly Eddie’s fault. Sure, he’s crowded Eddie into empty hallways for a few kisses here and there, but Eddie was the one kissing him silly in bed. He was the one finding broom closets and corners to pull away at Richie’s clothes and leave petals of red and purple all over his chest. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if they counted and found he started more affection than Richie did. That only meant that Eddie needed more self control.

“Where to?” Richie asked.

“The workshop. Last fitting,” Eddie answered rather quickly. His lover nodded with a smile and lead the way. 

It didn’t take them long to get to the workshop, and when they did it only took minutes for Eddie to dress himself. He wasn’t so used to such soft and expensive fabrics, but he found himself liking it more than the robes he was in at home. The designs were much more intricate than his old patterns, and it seemed to fit his body type much better. The tailor examined his work and got a closer look at the sleeves on the second layer. There were many layers to the clothes they wore to court, and Eddie had learned that as he dressed his father when he was in the court.

“Ah, where did I put my pins?” The tailor mumbled to himself.

“Perhaps, the fabric room?” Richie suggested. He thought for a moment, retracing his steps, and then nodded.

“Must be! I’ll take a look, no worries,” he said and promptly left the room. Eddie sighed as he relaxed. He took a step off the stand and wandered over to the desk that had a sketch of his outfit. Not long passed before he felt lips against his nape, and his eyes fluttered shut as he allowed Richie to kiss at his skin.

“You look divine in these clothes, my love…then again you look divine everyday,” he murmured. Eddie let out a breath and looked down as arms wrapped around him.

“Richie…” he said softly.

“Yes, my love?” Richie hummed beneath his ear. Eddie then turned his head and indulged in one last kiss on the lips.

“The king had a talk with me just now.”

“Yes?”

“Richie…we can’t keep doing this,” he told him sadly. He didn’t want to cry, but if Richie protested too much he might. Richie only chuckled at first.

“Doing what? What are we doing that is wrong?” He asked. “We’re just loving differently,” he said taking his hand. Eddie frowned at their fingers, and wanted to hold on forever.

“He said adultery is a crime, and…if he hears about something like that after the wedding he would…he would have to punish me,” he spoke so softly in fear of breaking his lovers heart. He knew how fragile it could be in the right circumstances.

“Eddie…”

“I don’t know what to do, Richie, but I can’t risk this. I can’t risk _you_. I fear I might be endangering you by being so careless,” he said trying not to sniffle between words and keeping his eyes on their fingers still.

“I can’t give you up, baby. I’ll fight for you—“

“Against the king? Against an army? Richie, you’ll die. I don’t want anyone to die for me,” he said.

“Then let’s run. We’re nothing put pawns to royalty anyways. You were basically sold to be Bill’s play thing. We can run away and have a life together,” Richie proposed. Eddie shook his head.

“Richie, my documents have been changed. I have no money to my name, no place to run. If we try to run, Bill will never give me the deed to my old home,” he argued.

“I know of a woman,” Richie started. He sounded absolutely desperate, and Eddie squeezed his eyes shut to resist looking at him.

“Richie—“

“Her name is Beverly Marsh. She has a lot of land and a big heart. I knew her when I was a child, and her mother would have me over for dinner when my parents couldn’t afford to feed me. She has a husband now and they collaborated their wealth. They don’t have a lot, but if we came willing to work they would take us as we are,” Richie continued.

“What would happen when they find us? They’d arrest those nice people and burn their land for stealing from the king,” Eddie pointed out. He blinked down at the floor and mourned the tears spilling on the nice fabric over his chest.

“They know an attorney. He can officiate us new documents. He’d have to change our names, but we wouldn’t have to worry about anything if someone came looking for us. There’s hundreds of employees here. Unless the king comes to find us personally, they wouldn’t recognize us,” Richie assured him. Eddie shook his head.

“I can’t…Richie, it would never work—“

“You said you’d pick me,” Richie interrupted. Eddie finally looked up at Richie and saw not tears but hurt behind his eyes. That was much worse.

“Richie, that’s not fair—“

“Is it not? Because you said I have nothing but I’ve still given you more than anyone else. I want to give you a life. Your _freedom_. We can do this,” Richie insisted. Eddie’s lower lip trembled and he shook his head again.

“I really wish we could. I’d give _anything_ to be with you forever,” he whimpered. Richie pulled him closer in his arms, and Eddie pathetically spread his hands across his wide shoulders.

“We can…Eddie, _please_ ,” he begged.

Before he could answer the door swung open and the tailor waltzed back in. He had a happy smile as he held up the pin cushion, but it quickly flattened when he saw the tears and felt the tension. Eddie quickly put some space between them and wiped his tears away.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” He asked. Eddie shook his head.

“No just…nervous for court,” he said with one last sniffle and then plastering on a fake smile. Richie shook his head, but continued to look empty as he walked past Eddie and towards the door.

“I’ll be right outside. Just let me know when you need me,” he said lifelessly.

“Oh, sure thing. Thank you!” The tailor said as Richie left the room and shut the door. He then turned back to Eddie and held out the cushion again.

“Now, let’s get those seems tightened.”

Life hurt in those two days before court. Richie now waited outside of rooms and only slept on the floor no matter how much Eddie insisted it wasn’t good for him. He didn’t try to touch him or kiss him or whisk him away like he used to, and he especially didn’t try to talk to him any more than he had to. Eddie couldn’t remember a time Richie was so quite and kept to himself. It made him sad to see him stand there when he’d rather him be laughing and smiling with him.

The day finally arrived, and he was accompanied by Bill all day rather than Richie. He didn’t say a word about their little fight to him, and instead sat in silence as the trial started. The king’s lawyer was very well educated and well spoken, and easily told the story of what happened that night. He presented the evidence, and referred to the list or witnesses they had including Eddie, Bill, Richie, and the man who broke into the palace. Then he showed the physical evidence. The knives Sonia’s servant had, the lock picks he had, the doorknobs with scratches he tried to pick, and the shattered glass from the window he broke to enter the castle. Then Sonia’s lawyer spoke, and it was evident who would win this.

“The v-verdict should be in by the end of the day if things continue this w-way,” Bill whispered to Eddie as the layer stumbled over his words.

Bill spoke as a witness first, and then Richie was on the stand. They were both precise with their words, and it was easy to piece the story together. The prisoner came after them, and he was shaking so bad his shackles rang like wind chimes. He told the court about his instructions and that he was merely following orders. No one seemed to have an ounce of pity as he spoke, but Eddie felt a bit of sympathy towards the fact that he was caught up in Sonia’s lies.

“Sh-she told me he was dangerous. She says he was going to k-kill the king if we didn’t get him b-back!” He claimed.

“Thank you for your time, but—“

“No! You ought to l-listen to me! She’s a liar! Don’t believe a word she s-says!” He warned. He was then guided off the stand crying hysterically, and Eddie was lead to replace him.

“What is your name, sir?” The king’s lawyer asked.

“Edward Kaspbrak,” he answered.

“How did you come to live in the castle with the king, Edward?” He questioned.

“I was sold to him by my mother, Sonia Kaspbrak. She remembered he was in need of a new servant, and highly recommended me. That transaction occurred about two months ago,” Eddie replied.

“So your mother was willing to sell you? She seemed to have no remorse or attachment to your presence?” He continued. 

Eddie felt an emotional response like a slap in the face to that question. He looked over at his mother sitting in the stands with her makeup all smeared from her fake crying. She blinked at him expectedly, as if she hoped he would lie and say she was just as devastated as she was now. Instead he found himself tearing up for real, and then nodded in confirmation.

“There is not a remorseful bone in her body. She’s only sad that she got caught trying to kill her own son after abandoning him wishing she’d done it sooner,” he said coldly. Sonia wailed at that, but Eddie ignored it as they continued to question him.

Ultimately, Bill was right. The trial ended before lunch, and Sonia and her step father were found guilty. Eddie didn’t pay attention to their punishments, and instead promptly left the room as they began listing them. He passed Richie on his way out, and felt his heart ache when their hands brushed against each other. It had only been days since they last kissed, but it felt like an eternity. The warmth from his skin, and the affection from his love were dearly missed, and he was overcome with mourning as he left the court room. He made it halfway down the empty hall before he felt a hand grab his. He suspected it was Bill, but was surprised to see Richie when he turned around.

“I won’t do anything, I promise, but…I just wanted to say I see your pain, and I’m sorry,” he whispered. Eddie couldn’t hold back his tears and collapsed against his chest to finally sob.

“Richie…” he cried. Long arms wrapped around him and he finally felt at home.

“I’ve got you, okay? I’ll always be here for you,” Richie promised. That almost hurt more to hear. After everything Eddie couldn’t give him, Richie was still so selfless for him.

“I love you,” he whispered. Richie kissed the top of his head.

“I love you too…” he murmured.

“Richie!” Bill called. Eddie pulled away and Bill’s smile started to fade as he realized Richie wasn’t alone. He quickly wiped his tears and stepped away from the bodyguard.

“Sorry…I’ll go,” Eddie murmured.

“N-no, it’s fine. What’s wrong?” Bill asked. He essentially ignored Richie and took Eddie’s hands. Richie took that as his cue to leave, and Eddie’s heart broke when he left him alone with Bill.

“It’s…just overwhelming to see her again. She was so awful to me,” he murmured. Bill nodded.

“Of course. I’m here for you, okay Eddie? Y-you don’t have to run to R-Richie,” he assured him. Eddie frowned at that.

“I didn’t…I didn’t run to him. He came to me because he saw my pain,” he said. Bill blinked at that and then wetted his lips.

“Do you…rely on him? Emotionally?” Bill asked. Eddie furrowed his brows.

“Bill, I told you. I’m in love with him. He feels the same,” Eddie told him. Bill seemed shocked by that. “I thought you knew that…”

“I…I-I didn’t think you’d cheat on me,” Bill replied.

“Billy, our engagement isn’t very formal at all. I thought we were fine as friends.”

“We are friends, but we are also to be l-legally wed, Eddie. It doesn’t look good when my bride goes and f-fucks the bodyguard,” Bill spat. Eddie gaped at him in shock.

“Bill, I have not broken any laws. Richie and I have never done anything like that, and we are not wed yet,” he pointed out.

“Surely you’re not that daft. That’s all that Richie wants. All he talks about is wanting to fuck a man,” Bill scoffed. Eddie’s lower lip trembled and he shook his head as he let go of Bill’s hands.

“I can’t do this,” he said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“I cannot marry you, Bill! I cannot marry you when I’m so in love with Richie. It hurts to stay apart from him!” He snapped. Bill’s face burned with anger.

“How dare you? I feed you, and clothe you, and give you a place to live, and you can’t do the one thing we bought you for?” He growled.

“You’ve never loved me! Why would I want to marry you—“

“It doesn’t matter what you want!” Bill shouted. Eddie shut his mouth at that and glared at him before shaking his head and running down the hall.


	5. Respect me

  
He spent a week locked in his room after that. The servants would tap on his door to give him his meals, and that was the only time he opened it. Occasionally, Bill would come to ask about wedding details, but he was only met with silence. Eddie didn’t want to talk to him. It was clear exactly what he wanted from Eddie, and he wasn’t willing to give it. Every time he came Eddie would wait until he left, and eventually his temper got the best of him and he would leave in a fit.

Everyday there would be an extra knock after dinner, and Eddie would find some type of treat sitting perfectly on a plate for him. It was confusing because his dinner always came with his dessert already to the side. At first they were rather bland, but as the days continued they became more flavorful and experimental. He never figured out who it was until one night when they got caught.

“Richie? What are y-you doing here?” Bills voice came from behind Eddie’s door. He perked up from his bed at Richie’s name, and quietly tip toed to his door to hear better.

“Good evening, Bill. I’m just leaving Eddie his dessert,” Richie said calmly.

“His d-dessert should’ve been on his plate,” Bill replied sounding not as calm.

“It was, but this one is especially for him,” Richie replied. Eddie sank to the floor hearing the smirk in Richie’s voice. He placed his palm against the wood, and wallowed in how much he missed the other man.

“Did the cooks make it s-special?”

“No, I did.”

“P-Pardon?”

“I made the dessert,” Richie announced. Eddie felt warm at that confession. Every night, Richie made him something. He handed him a gift every night on a perfect little plate, and it was just for Eddie. He missed him so much.

“You made it? Wh-Why?” Bill questioned. “We have staff for that, Richie. I thought you kn-knew that.”

“I do know that, but I miss him. It makes me think about him, and I want him to know I’m thinking about him,” Richie responded. Eddie’s heart raced at that. It was so sweet to hear, and he wanted to open the door and tell Richie how much he missed him too. He didn’t want Bill to be there though.

“How do you even know how to m-make that?”

“I asked the chef to teach me. The French one was more than willing, and he’s exceptional at pastry making,” he said.

“All because you miss him? You’re doing work beneath your station, R-Rich.”

“It’s not beneath a man to show his love, is it?” Richie questioned. It was silent between them for a moment before Bill sighed.

“Richard, it’s very impolite of y-you to express this to my fiancé,” Bill said.

“I thought you were fine with it, William. It’s not the first time I’ve told you about my feelings for Eddie,” Richie replied.

“Yes, that was b-before you told me about how badly you wanted to ruin his ass,” Bill deadpanned. Richie laughed at that.

“Is that how you took it? I told you we kissed and I couldn’t help but want more. I suppose you wouldn’t know the feeling since you’ve never kissed a man befo—“ Richie was silenced by the sound of a slap. Eddie gasped quietly and quickly covered his mouth. He thought he was mad at Bill before, but now he was furious.

“L-listen to me, Richie. You have n-no idea the type of p-pressure I’m under. My father has me on eggsh-shells as it is by allowing me to wed ano-nother man, but he will not tolerate anymore c-crimes. This affair you’re p-pursuing will only end with you in the g-ground and Eddie behind b-bars. Do. Not. Be. So. Cocky with me, Rich. My father looks down on incompetent men, and s-so do I,” Bill hissed.

“Bill, Eddie is your best friend. Forget about me. Are you really going to force him to marry you?” Richie questioned.

“I have no ch-choice! Don’t you see? My father will d-disown me if I disappoint him anymore. I can’t afford to let him d-down until I can take over the throne,” Bill argued.

“Eddie isn’t property, Bill.”

“According to the l-law, he is. Specifically, my property,” he said. Richie was silent and Bill sighed. “Look…it’s not f-fun for me to do any of this. Of course I want you and Eddie to be h-happy, but…my father would never allow it. I can’t let it happen until I t-take over. Maybe you guys can w-w-wait—“

“You’re asking too much, Bill. I’m done talking about this,” Richie said.

“Richie, wait!” Bill begged. 

Footsteps trailed down the halls, but Eddie couldn’t hear anything else between them. He stood up on shaky feet and then unlocked the door to open it. At his feet he saw a perfect little muffin in front of him. Tears sprung to his eyes and he took the plate so he could close the door and properly eat it alone.

That night it was hard to sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Richie had said before. About the woman he knew and her husband. The attorney that could get them new documents. His desperation to give Eddie anything he wanted. Eventually he did fall asleep, but it was with the knowledge of what he had to do fresh in his mind. When he woke up he promptly dressed himself and opened his door to leave his room for the first time in a week. He stepped over his breakfast and looked around. His mission was to find Richie, and thanks to a passing guard he was able to be pointed in the right direction. He made his way down to the kitchen, and paused by the stairs as he watched Richie knead a pile of dough on the counter. A smile spread across his face for the first time in a while, and he continued down until he was by his side.

The kitchen was empty. Judging by the breakfast he ignored, the cooks wouldn’t be back for a few more hours to prepare lunch. Eddie quickly and quietly made his way to the counter, and smiled when Richie looked up from his kneading. Richie’s first reaction was to smile back, and he ignored the dough in favor of giving Eddie his full attention.

“You’re out,” he acknowledged. Eddie nodded and then made his way around the counter.

“I missed you too much to go another day,” Eddie said coyly. Richie dusted the flour off his hands, and looked at Eddie like he was the reason the sun rises everyday.

“I missed you too,” he replied. Eddie then reached up on his tip toes and kissed him on the lips. Richie, while he was shocked, didn’t waste any time holding Eddie around his waist and kissing him back.

“God, it’s been too long since I last felt your kiss, my love,” Richie murmured before kissing him again and holding his cheek. He got flour in his hair, but Eddie didn’t care as he kissed Richie again and again until he was kissing over his jaw.

“I heard you and Bill through the door last night. You really made those all for me?” He asked while holding his face and tilting his head so he could kiss down his neck. Richie laughed and held Eddie tighter with both arms.

“Of course, my love. I would do anything for you,” he answered. Eddie frowned at that and pulled him down to a kiss on the lips again.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, and I’m sorry I picked Bill over you. I won’t do that again,” he apologized. Richie’s brows pinched and he pressed their foreheads together.

“Eds…”

“I can’t marry Bill. I won’t. Not after all the things he’s said now, and especially because I love you too much to think about marrying anyone else,” Eddie confessed to him. Richie held Eddie’s face against his chest as he squeezed him with a tight hug. Eddie felt so warm and protected as Richie held him, and hugged him back even tighter.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear, Eddie,” Richie sniffled.

“We should leave tonight. While everyone is asleep. I know the stables, we can steal a horse and leave without anyone knowing. All the extra security is gone now that the trial ended, so it’s perfect,” Eddie told him. Richie pulled back only to swoop down for another kiss.

“Eddie…I love you so much,” Richie murmured. Eddie smiled at that.

“I love you too…also, I wouldn’t mind if you did want to ruin my ass,” Eddie teased and ran his hands down Richie’s chest. He was truthful when he told Bill they hadn’t done anything, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to. The dreams he had of Richie all around him made it a little awkward when they woke up, but it was fine since Richie always slept against his back instead of his front.

Richie went red. “Oh, Eddie, I never said anything like that, I promise. I don’t know what Bill has told you, but I’d never try to do anything you didn’t want,” he said. Eddie nodded.

“I know…he told me about your trial,” Eddie said quietly. Richie blinked at that and then looked away.

“What did he say?”

“That you were accused of sodomy, but you were tricked by an older man.”

“I was accused, but…Eddie, I never did anything with anyone. I was only willing to do that because he made me believe he cared for me. I’d never…I’ve never been with another person. I only want you,” he promised. Eddie’s eyes fluttered at that and he felt his heart race.

“I only want you too, Richie. I want you so bad sometimes I can’t breathe. I think about you all the time,” he said. His breath got shallow, and his back arched to press himself closer to Richie’s body.

“Me too. I shouldn’t, but I do. I want everything with you,” Richie whispered before leaning down to kiss him. Eddie moaned with delight at the feeling of Richie’s tongue, and he spread his fingers under the laces of Richie’s tunic.

“Take me now. Richie, I’ve waited for so long, I don’t want to waste another second,” Eddie urged. Richie groaned against his lips and pressed him closer. Eddie melted at Richie’s hands on his body, and eagerly continued their kisses.

“So soft…so beautiful…my love, you are absolutely amazing…divine…gorgeous,” Richie whispered sweet nothings as Eddie squirmed against him. He then brought his hands down Richie’s torso, and ate up the moan he gifted Eddie.

“Richie…please…touch me,” Eddie pleaded and touched Richie himself.

Richie groaned and then moved his hands to grip Eddie’s body differently. He lifted him up and set him in the counter. Eddie was more than pleased with this, and moaned with relief as Richie palmed him in his trousers. Hot lips and a wet tongue worked against his neck, and he let out countless whimpers and whines when he started sucking love bites against his skin. Flour was getting everywhere the more that they moved, but Richie didn’t try to stop it. Eddie didn’t care, and let Richie undo the tie at the front of his blouse. It revealed his under shirt that dipped below his collarbones, and showed more skin for Richie to kiss. So he did and continued feeling up and down Eddie’s waist and hips before he got to his thigh and squeezed it.

“ _Richie_ ,” he moaned and dug his fingers into the other man’s hair.

“I’ve wanted you so badly for so long. Hearing you is an absolute dream, my love. I wanna make love to you everyday,” Richie rambled and kissed over his shirt when he had no more skin to kiss. Eddie hummed happily at that and leaned his head back. Then Richie pressed against his chest, and he leaned back until he was flat against the counter. He whimpered as Richie squeezed him harder, his cock easier to feel now that it was fully hard in his pants, and arched his back when he felt his other hand widen his legs.

“Richie… _ahh_ ,” he moaned as Richie kissed back up his neck and tried to pull him in for another kiss. Unfortunately they were interrupted by the sound of loud foot steps coming down the stairs, and looked over to see Bill with a rather unpleasant expression.

“You lock yourself in your r-room for a week, and now you leave to have s-sex with my staff?” Bill questioned. Eddie was speechless, and merely held Richie tighter.

“You can’t control him, Bill. It’s wrong of you to be so harsh on him—“

“I wasn’t speaking to you, R-R-Richie. Haven’t you learned not to s-speak unless sp-spoken to yet?” He interrupted harshly.

“Bill, you loved it when I broke that rule! You told me to break it!” Richie snapped.

“That was before you tried to steal my f-fiancé from me,” Bill said and continued down the steps. They sat up as Bill approached, but Richie kept a protective stance around Eddie.

“We’re going to leave you, Bill. You can’t stop us unless you want to throw us in jail. Even then, we’ll still be together—“

“I don’t care if you are t-together, I care that you respect me and respect the law!” Bill shouted. Richie shook his head.

“This isn’t right, and you know it, Bill. Your old man is losing it, right? You said he hasn’t been fit recently,” he pointed out.

“That doesn’t give you the excuse to be so d-devient. How will everyone else see me if they kn-know you are behaving this way? They’ll start to think that I’m impure like you, and that they can do whatever they want too,” Bill said.

“They should be able to,” Eddie spoke up. Bill’s eyes shifted to him and then back to Richie.

“I can’t have y-you misbehaving,” he said simply. “I’m s-sorry Richie, But you guys have to wait.”

“Bullshit!” Eddie spat. Bill huffed and then shook his head.

“Eddie, you know I was ag-gainst this from the begging—“

“You said I shouldn’t be a servant,” Eddie challenged.

“That doesn’t mean you can m-misbehave!”

“I can’t marry you!” Eddie insisted. 

Bill groaned and raised his hand only for Richie to grab his wrist. Although he was taller, Bill was stronger and managed to shove him back. Richie only came at him again, but Bill wrestled him until they were outside in the rain. The grass was slippery, and all it took was one solid punch across his face for Richie to lose his footing. Eddie ran outside with them trying to get Bill off of him, but he was met with the slap he was promising before. He fell to the ground as well, but quickly tried to get back up. He kept slipping and sobbed at Bill’s feet.

“Would you sob at his feet, Eddie? You won’t sob for f-forgiveness, but you’ll sob for him! He has nothing to give you! Why must you def-fy me?” Bill yelled. Rain soaked their clothes, and Eddie looked over to see blood across Richie’s brow. His golden wire glasses to the side and bent. 

“He loves me, Bill,” Eddie sobbed.

“I love you too, Eddie! You’re my b-b-best friend!” Eddie shook his head and grabbed at his pants.

“Please…please, just let us leave, Bill. We won’t be an issue for you and it won’t be your fault. Please, let us go,” he pleaded. Bill’s lower lip started to quiver, and he had tears of his own.

“Do you have any r-respect for my title, Eddie? Would you let me do those th-things to you? Would you let me t-touch you the way he does?” Bill questioned. Eddie shook his head.

“No…because I don’t love you, Bill,” he answered honestly. Bill sighed and looked up to let the rain hit his face. He then ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

“You’re the only p-person who’s never lied to me, Eddie,” he said. His voice cracking as he started to cry. “Even my own fa…father…he lied to me all the time.”

“I respect you, Bill, but not as a prince. As a person…as my friend,” Eddie cooed. Bill was silent for a moment before taking in a deep breath and stepping away from Eddie.

“M-meet me by the stables. I’ll be there soon,” Bill said and turned back to the kitchen. Eddie watched him walk and then scrambled to Richie’s side.

“Are you okay? Shit, you’re bleeding,” Eddie said as he helped Richie to sit up.

“Yeah…Bill has always packed a hard punch. I’m not unfamiliar with it. Although those situations were…a lot more light hearted,” Richie said with a little smile. Eddie sighed and then kissed him sweetly before grabbing his glasses and bending them into the correct position.

“He said to meet him by the stables soon. Let’s get you up,” Eddie said. Richie nodded and let Eddie guide him to his feet. By the time they got to the stables he could walk normally and they huddled inside one of the stalls to stay warm. Then footsteps echoed inside the stable, and they peeked over the stall door to see Bill holding two cloaks and a large satchel. They stepped out to meet him and he immediately handed it to them.

“T-take my horse…I’ll make sure no one knows of your a-absence until tomorrow. They’ll think you u-upped and left if you t-take Silver,” Bill said. Eddie nodded as Richie secured the cloak around him and then rushed to give him a hug.

“Thank you, Bill.”

“I’m so s-sorry I let my father’s pride control me. I-I was just so scared of what he’d s-say…if I make anymore w-wrong decisions, he’ll punish me. It’s bad enough that I was m-made this way,” Bill said. Eddie shook his head and pulled back to hold his face.

“Bill, there’s nothing wrong with the way you’re made. This proves that you are capable of good. I know you’ll take over one day and you’ll make life better,” he assured him. Bill blinked at him with sad eyes.

“I don’t deserve your f-forgiveness right now, Eddie. I’ll make this up to you, I p-promise,” he said. Eddie nodded and pulled back as Richie lead Silver out of her stall.

“Okay…thank you,” he smiled. Richie then helped him up on the saddle, and got up to sit behind him.

“J-just so you guys know…I was always ok-kay with it. My father was the one who t-told me to make sure it didn’t continue, but…I sh-shouldn’t have listened to that or let it go to my head,” he clarified. Richie nodded.

“I know you, Bill. That’s what I assumed,” he replied. Bill nodded and then patted Silver’s neck.

“Ride fast. I-I hope to see you guys again in the future…”

“You too, Billy,” Eddie said with a smile. Bill smiled back, and then Richie lead the horse forward out of the stables.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on insta! @gay_an_feral


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